Means for controlling entrance into and from passenger carriers



in J. HOP-FAY. Y MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ENTRANCE INTO AND FROM PASSENGER CARRIERS.

FILED MAY 26. .921 3 SHEETS'SHEET I Jan. 16, E923.

J HOFFAY. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ENTRANCE INTO AND FROM PASSENGER CARRIERS.

3 SHEETS'SHEET 2 F 1 LED M 2 j 1 92] I INVENTOR- A TTORNE Y3 Jan. 16, 1923.

I I l I I I @Mmri 1 1N VENTOR if A TYOR/VE 3 SHEETS'SHEET 3 FILED MAY 26.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ENTRANCE INTO AND FROM PASSENGER CARRI ERS.

Patented J an. 16, 1923.

JOSEPH HOFFAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ENTRANOE INTO AND FROM PASSENGER CARRIERS.

Application filed May 26, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern: o Be itknown that I, J osnrrr HOFFAY, a citi zen of the Republic of Mexico, residing at.

New York. N. Y. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Controlling Entrance into and from Passenger Carriers, ofwhich the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates tomeans for con; trolling the entrances into and the exits from passenger carriers, and is herein shown as embodied in means for controlling the passage of passengers between the platforms of subway Or elevated stations and the trains. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to the embodiment. herein shown and described and that many features thereof are of general utility in the art to which it relates.

An object of the invention is to provide means under the control of the operator or conductor of a passenger carrier which will prevent the entrance of passengers into the carrier or their exit therefrom, except. when the carrier is at rest in proper relation to the passenger platform, and which may also be so operated as to control the movements of a crowd of passengers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a platform gate for use in controlling the movements of passengers to and from passenger carriers which may be controlled from the passenger carrier and which is so constructed as substantially to prevent interference with its operation by the type of passenger who is inclined "to take unnecessary risks.

An important. feature of the invention is the provision of operating means forv the gates which is self-supervising, whereby indication will be given when the gate-operating mechanism is not in good working order. Other features and objects of the invention will appear from the following description and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a general view of my improvement;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the arrangementof the piping partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged portion showing the valve operating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a top view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram.

Serial No. 472,822.

As hereinabove suggested, the invention is shown as applied to the control of passengers moving to and from subway or elevated platforms of municipal transportation systems, the train herein shown having cars of the type used in the Interborough Rapid Transit Subway of New York city, these cars having a single sliding door at each end sliding away from the end, and a pair of sliding doors midway between the ends sliding away from each other, all of these doors sliding parallel to the station platform. To provide for entrance to cars of this type, the illustrated gate system has a corresponding number of gate controlled openings with the gates preferably moving in directions corresponding to the directions of movement of the car doors.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the. station platform 2 is provided near its edge with a fence or guard made up of tubing which provides slideways for the gates, conduits for the fluid for operating the gates in one direction and guideways for the mechanical means for operating the gates in the other direction. In the illustrated "construction, the fence or guard is shown as comprised of upper rails 4 and lower rails 6, the upper rails 4 comprising tWOSQCtlOIlS of tubing joined to an intermediate vertical tube 8 which constitutes one of the supporting posts for the fence or guard and also a passage for the air or other fluid employed in operating the gates, in one direction. The lower rail 6 is also comprised of two sections similarly oined to the vertical tube or post 8. The tube or post 8 below the platform is connected with an air tank 10 of such vertical dimensions as will provide for movement of a gate-operating weight 12, the tank 10 being in turn connected with a horizontal pipe 14 fed from. an air compressor 16 operated by an electric motor 18 to supply compressed air for clos ing the gates and maintaining .them closed. Supporting posts 20 are also provided for the outer ends of the bars 4.- and 6 but these posts do not forrr. conduits of the compressed air system.

Each of the bars or tubes 4 and 6 is provided at its outer end with a guide 22 through which slides a rod 24. constituting the gate proper, this rod carrying inside the tube 4 or 6 a piston 26 which slides in airi tight relation to the inner wall of the tube whereby the compressed air coming up through the post 8 behind 'the pistons 26 moves the gates 24 connected with the respective pistons toward closed position. The rodsor gates 24 may be provided with bumpers 28 upon their outer ends.

To operate the gates in the opening direction, the gates are preferably connected to pulleys 9 of the weight 12 by two endless flexible members 30 passing through rollers 5 located in the tube 4, 6, and down through the vertical tube 8, each of the pistons 26 being provided with a cross-pinion 32 to which the cords 30 may be connected. It will be noted that the amount of opening movement required-of the gates controlling entrance to the end doors of the car is greater than that required of the gates controlling the middle entrance to the middle door of the car, since there are gates moving in opposite direction at the middle, and therefore in orderto operate all of the gates from a single weight, provision must be made for sliding movement of the middle gates beyond that required to open the passage to the car, or as shown in Fig. 2 the pulleys of weight 12 will permit the sliding of the cords until all the gates are fully open.

In order to control the opening of the gates from the train, means is provided on the train for relieving the air pressure which maintains the gates closed, the illustrated means comprising a lever 34 pivoted in the floor of the motormans car and having a roller 36 at its end adapted to engage the .upper bar 37 of a parallel motion linkage,

as illustrated in Fig. 4, and acting to close a valve 38, a series of which may be distributed along the platform at the proper places where trains are intended to stop depending upon the number of cars they contain. The valve 38 will preferably be a three-Way valve which will not remove the pressure from the air compressor to cause it to start in operation at the time the valve is turned in the position to relieve the pressure on the various gates. When, however, the valve 38 is restored to its open position, connection will again be made between the air compressor and the gate operating mechanism, cau sing the pressure again to start in motion and provlde compressed air to close the gates. The valve 38 may be re stored .to open position by any suitable means,'suchas a spring 40 which will act when lever 34. is freed by the motormans releasing-locking lever 35. Lever 35 always tends to lock through the action of spring 41. Spring 39 will raise lever 34 when locking lever 35 frees the short end of lever 34 intended to be operated by the motormans foot, and it will thus be seen that a train may pass by a station without stopping and without altering the closed condition of the platform gates.

In order to notify the train operator when the gates are all closed so that it will be safe to close the car doors and start the train, suitable signaling means is preferably provided, this signaling means being preferably so arranged that a signal is not given until all of the gates are closed. A simple signaling arrangement, which will serve both to indicate to the train operator when to close the car doors and start the train and to indicate to any station attendant when the gate-closing system is not working properly, comprises an electric circuit having therein a signal light 42 or other suitable signaling means, the signaling means being preferably so arranged that a safety signal is only given when the circuit is closed. Each of the gates has preferably associated therewith a switch in this circuit which opens and breaksthe circuit as soon as the gate starts to open and is not again closed to complete the circuit or its part of the circuit until the gate has been returned to its intended position. Such a switch may comprise members 44 and 45 located in collar 46 in such position that an insulated circuit member 27 of piston 26 comes in contact with members 44 and 45 only when the gate has been returned to its intended position.

From the foregoing description the operation of the device will readily be understood. As a train approaches an intended stop at'a station having the guard rails and gates arranged in accordance with the present invention, the motorman will cause roller 36 to engage valve 38 and just as the train comes to a stop, valve 38 will close and relieve the air pressure upon the pistons 26, whereupon the weights 12 will simultaneously move all of the gates to open position. It will be noted, however, that the amount of movement of the middle gates to open position being less than the amount of movement of the end gates to open position, the pas sages from the platform to the middle doors of the train will be opened before the pas-- sages from the platform to the end doors. This may be utilized to control the movements of the passengers on crowded platforms by preferably requiring all passengers leavingthe train to ieave by the end doors and all passengers entering the train to enter by the middle doors, and thus utilize the action of'a crowd itself to start movement in one direction only instead of permitting the crowd to break up into cross currents. The gates having been opened and the car doors also opened in the desired succession and passen- "gers having been discharged, and received,

sure will be supplied as aforesaid to the va rious pistons 26 from the air compressor 16 which will preferably have associated therewith a storage tank providing for the quick supply of air in suflicient quantities for operating all of the gates. Such supply of air may be large enough to provide sufficient pressurefor operating platform gates on both sides of a train at transfer stations.-

It will be noted that each of the gates 2 L moves independently of the others in closing, whereby a passenger attempting to go through the gates after the gates have started to close will be obliged to take hold of each of the gates in order to prevent the closing. If it is found that two movable gates at each of the end car openings and four movable gates at the middle car openings are not sufficientto prevent the careless passengers from, interfering with the closing of the-gates, a greater number of gates 'ma be provided to insure that one or more wi 1 be moving to closed position while such passenger is trying to hold the others from closing.

lVhat I claim as newiis- 1. Means for controlling-the passage of passengers between a platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising a guard, gate controlled openings in said guard corresponding to the number of openings in said passenger carrier, means for effecting the opening and closing of the gates of said openings, and means whereby the actuation of said opening and closing means may be controlled from the passenger carrier.

2. Means for controlling the passage of;

passengers between a platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising a guard, said guard having openings corresponding to the openings in the passenger carrier, gates slidable in said guard to close said openings, means tending constantly to move said gates to open position, and means for moving said gates against the action of said first-mentioned means to closed position and for maintaining them in closed position.

3. Means for controlling the passage of passengers between a platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising a guard,

said guard having openings corresponding to the passenger receiving and discharging openings in the passenger carrier, gates slidable in said guard for controlling said openings, and pneumatic means for operating said gates of which said guard constitutes a conduit.

4. Means for controlling the passage of passengers between a platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising a guard, said guard having openings corresponding to the passenger receiving and discharging openings in the passenger carrier, gates slidable in said guard for controlling said openlngs, pneumatic means for closlng said gates ried by said guards for controlling said openings, and pneumatic means for operating said gates of which said guard rails and posts constitute conduits.

6. Meansfor controlling the passage of passengers betweena platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising a guard,

said guard comprising a plurality of guard rails and supporting posts, said guards be ing provided with openings corresponding to the passengerreceiving and discharging openings of the passenger carrier, gates carried by said guards for controlling said openings, and gravity controlled means for operating said gates, said means being concealed Within said guard rails and posts.

7. Means for controlling the passage of passengers between a platform or landin and a passenger carrier, comprising a guar said guard having openings corresponding to the passenger receiving and discharging openings of the passenger carrier, gates for controlling-said openings, local means for operating the gates, means whereby said local means may be actuated from the passenger carrier, and a signaling system arrangedto give a danger signal when any one of said gates is open, and to' give a safety signal only when all of said gates are closed.

8. Means for controlling the passage of passengers between a platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising a guard, gate-controlled openings in said guard corresponding to openings in said passenger carrier, and means for automatically effecting the opening and closing movements of the gates, said gates being substantially horizonta'lly movable.

9. Means for controlling the passage of passengers between a platform or landing and apassenger carrier, comprising a guard,

gate-controlled openings in said guard corresponding to openings in said passenger carrier, and compressible means for efiecting the closing movements of the gates, said gates being substantially horizontally movable.

10. Means for controlling the passage of passengers between a. platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising a guard, gate-controlled openings in said guard corresponding to openings in said passenger carrier platform, means operating independently on the gates of the respective openings for opening said gates, and means operating simultaneously upon all of said gates for closing said gates.

11. Means for controlling the passage of passengers between a platform' or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising a guard,

an opening in said guard corresponding to 7 an opening in said passenger carrier, a plurality of independentliy substantially horizontally movable gate members controlling said opening in said guard, and means for simultaneously exerting gate closing pressure upon said independently movable gate members.

12. Means for controllingthe passage of passengers between a platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising a guard, openings in said guards corresponding to openings in said'passengercarrier, gates controlling said openings, means for effecting the opening and closing of said gates,

, and means whereby a controlling connection may be established between the aforementioned means and the passenger carrier.

13. Means for controlling the passage of passengers between a platform or landing anda passenger'carrier, comprising a guard, openings in said guard corresponding to openings in said passenger carrier, gates controlling said openings, means operating independently on the respective gates for 15. Means for controlling the passageof passengers between a platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising gates carried by the platform and normally in positionto cover the passenger receiving and discharging openings in the passenger carrier and slidable to one side of said openings, said gates being substantially horizontally movable, and means for automatically effecting the movements thereof. 16. Means 'for controlling the passage of passengers between a platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising a guard, said guard having openings substantially corresponding to the passenger receiving and discharging openings in the passenger carrier, gates slidable in said guard for controlling said openings, and means for operating said gates of which said guard constituteS a conduit.

17. Means for controlling the passage of passengers between a platform or landing and a passenger carrier, comprising gates carried by the platform and normally in position to cover the passenger receiving and discharging openings in the passenger carrier, and slidable to one side of said openings,said gates being substantially horizontally movable, and means for effecting the movements thereof. a

18. Means for controllin the passage of passengers between a platform or landing and apassenger carrier, comprising a guard, said guard having openings substantially corresponding to the passenger receiving and discharging openings of the passenger carrier, gates controlling said openings, means operating the gates, and a signaling system arrapged to give a danger signal when any one of said gates is open, and to give a safety signal only when all of said gates have reached a closed position.

Si ned at New York, N. Y., this 21st day of Ma 1921.

JOSEPH HOFFAY. 

